The annual congress for the chemicals industry, the Helsinki Chemicals Forum, will bring together around 250 international and national politicians, authorities, decision-makers, industry leaders, academics and experts representing industry, NGOs and the European Union, to the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre in May.

In addition to international participants, some 30 media representatives from around the world are expected to participate. ‘The ultimate goal of the Helsinki Chemicals Forum is to offer an international platform for debate aimed at developing the chemicals policy’, explains Hannu Vornamo, Secretary General of the Helsinki Chemicals Forum.The decision to base the European Chemicals Agency in Finland originally played a role in the creation of the Helsinki Chemicals Forum. In fact, the Chemicals Agency is a key partner of the event.‘The congress is well on the way to developing into the industry’s key international forum. The forum aims to make Helsinki known as the ‘European chemicals capital’ and to strengthen the chemicals cluster in Finland’, comments Mr Vornamo.The Helsinki Chemicals Forum is organised by the Chemicals Forum Association, in co-operation with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Commission, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, CEFIC, the City of Helsinki, the University of Helsinki, and the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland. The congress will be held on 24–25 May 2012.

• www.helsinkicf.eu/